Bodily Men Who Ignore the Spirit’s Food
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 5, section 14 of 175: How the corporealists ignore the food of the spirit and tremble with anxiety for the vile food (انکار اهل تن غذای روح را و لرزیدن ایشان بر غذای خسیس). Below, each of its 6 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
How the corporealists ignore the food of the spirit and tremble with anxiety for the vile food. انکار اهل تن غذای روح را و لرزیدن ایشان بر غذای خسیس
قسم او خاکست گر دی گر بهار
میر کونی خاک چون نوشی چو مار
Its (the vile creature’s) food is earth, whether in winter or in spring; thou art the lord of creation: how is it thou eatest earth like the snake?
در میان چوب گوید کرم چوب
مر کرا باشد چنین حلوای خوب
The wood-worm in the midst of wood says, “For whom (else) should be such fine sweetmeat?”
کرم سرگین در میان آن حدث
در جهان نقلی نداند جز خبث
The dung-worm amidst (all) that pollution knows no dessert in the world but filth.
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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